2023 Parish Council Minutes of Meetings

April 2023 Minutes

MEETING OF INGOLDSBY PARISH COUNCIL

Minutes of the Ingoldsby Parish Council Meeting held on Wednesday 19 April 2023 at 8pm in the Village Hall, Main Street, Ingoldsby

Public Forum: The Chair opened the public forum. There were no parishioners present.

1) WELCOME REMARKS BY THE CHAIR (23/001)

The Chair, Councillor Eldred, welcomed members to the meeting.

2) PRESENT (23/002)

Councillor Eldred, Chair
Councillor Kenyon, Vice-Chair
Councillor Leigh
Councillor Nelson

3) APOLOGIES (23/003)

Councillor Weller submitted her apologies which were noted and accepted by the Council.

4) DECLARATIONS OF PECUNIARY INTEREST & DISPENSATIONS (23/004)

No reports of pecuniary interests of applications for dispensations in relation to the agenda. Councillor Eldred reported her interests in relation to the Village Hall Committee. Councillor Nelson reported her interests in relation to the Playing Field Committee, PTA and PTFA.

5) SIGNING OF THE MINUTES (23/005)

a) Members resolved to accept the Clerk’s notes of the Parish Council meeting held on Wednesday 15 March 2023 as a true and accurate record of that meeting. The minutes were duly signed and dated.

b) Councillor Kenyon proposed the following amendments to the minutes from 2022/23. The proposal was seconded by Councillor Leigh and the motion passed by resolution of the council.

 February minutes (minute reference 22/071 c, item relating to the payment to the PCC for grass-cutting services. This should read £430.00 not £500.00.
 February minutes (minute reference 22/071 c, a payment for the garden waste scheme of 60.00 is to be added to the list of payments.
 September minutes (minute reference 22/038 c), a bank charge of £5.00 is to be added to the list of payments.
 Page numbers to be amended from June 2022.
 Minute references to be amended from August 2022.

6) YEAR END FINANCE (23/006)

a) Year End Budget Review

Councillor Eldred proposed amendments (underlined and in italics) to the 2022/23 budget per the budget review. The proposal was seconded by Councillor Nelson and the motion was passed by resolution of the council.

In terms of income, the Parish Council received 16% more income than predicted in the budget and this is primarily due to the amount of the VAT refund and the higher interest payments after the second quarter.

In terms of expenditure, the Parish Council spent 99% of the budget. The annual budget figure sits at £6826.00 with an actual spend of £6767.25. There are however, certain budget heads that are significantly over-spent. It is recommended that the Council makes the following amendments to the budget to reduce the likelihood of significant variances in the audit process.

Only 70% of the Section 137 budget was spent and £285.00 could be diverted to other budget heads; £170.00 to the Clerk’s salary which is currently over budget by 6%, £90.00 to the village hall which is currently over-budget by 45% and £25.00 to Autela Payroll Services which is over-budget by 20%. This action brings the Clerk’s salary and the village hall budget heads within budget. Autela Payroll Services still sits at 5% over budget. The BT budget head currently sits at 96% and moving £15.00 to Autela Payroll Services will bring this budget head within budget bringing all budget heads within budget.

b) Members noted the current bank balances as of 31 March 2023.

Savings Account	7372.17
Current Account	191.21 70.00 261.21
Uncleared Payments	Nil
Uncleared Income	Nil
TOTAL	7633.38
Cashbook Total	7633.38
Bank Reconciliation (spreadsheet) on 31 March 2023	7633.38

c) Members noted that no income was received between 8 March and 31 March 2023.

d) Members noted the expenditure to be paid in line with the approved list of Regular payments between 8 March and 31 March 2023, or for approval.

Clerk’s salary, March 2023	203.71
Bank Charges, March 2023	5.00
BT Group, March 2023	32.34
Village Hall Annual Hire	223.13
Autela Payroll Services 11062, Q4.	83.27
TOTAL	547.45

e) Members noted the record of reserves as of 31 March 2023.

Earmarked Reserves
Elections	1774.74
Defibrillator	1400.00
Laptop	150.00
Community Improvements	3748.31
Reserves ‘not earmarked’	299.12
TOTAL per savings account	7372.17

f) Councillor Kenyon proposed that the year account be approved. The proposal was seconded by Councillor Leigh and the motion was passed by resolution of the council. The cashbook was signed and dated by the Chair, having already been signed and dated by the RFO.

g) AGAR/External Audit 2022/2023

i. The Clerk informed council of the dates of the Public Rights Period. The period of inspection will be 27 June to 5 August 2022 by appointment only.

Action: Clerk to add to the website. Councillor Eldred to add to the noticeboard.

ii. Internal Audit.

Action: Councillor Eldred will liaise with Mr John Jackson.

iii. The Chair, with the agreement of the Council, signed and dated the exemption certificate declaring Ingoldsby Parish Council as a smaller authority (with income and expenditure not exceeding £25,000 in the year ending 31 March 2022) which is therefore exempt from a limited assurance review (external audit). Page 3 of 6 of the AGAR.

Action: Councillor Eldred to copy the form for the Clerk and send the original to PKF Littlejohn by no later than 30 June 2023.

iv. Councillor Kenyon read out the Annual Governance Statement (Section 1, page 5 of 6) of the Annual Return (AGAR). Members agreed to respond ‘yes’ to questions 1-8, with 9 N/A. The statement was signed and dated by the Chair, Councillor Eldred (having already been signed and dated by the RFO).

v. Members resolved unanimously to approve the Accounting Statements (AGAR, Section 2, page 6 of 6). The Chair signed and dated the accounting statements, having already been signed by the RFO.

vi. The Clerk confirmed that the financial paperwork from 2022/23 would be published on the website in due course in accordance with the Transparency Code for smaller authorities.

vii. The Clerk confirmed that the VAT126 claim form for 2022/23 had been completed with an expected return of £167.36.

Action: The Chair, Councillor Eldred will mail the form to HMRC Customs.

7) FINANCE (New Financial Year, 1 April 2023) (23/007)

a) Councillor Kenyon proposed that the following list of payments be accepted for 2023/24’ in line with the budget agreed November 2022. . The proposal was seconded by Councillor Eldred and the motion was passed by resolution of the council.

LIST OF REGULAR PAYMENTS

This list of regular payments is approved by Financial Regulations. If it necessary to make payment to avoid a charge to interest under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 and the due date for the payment is before the next scheduled meeting of the Council, where the Clerk and RFO certify that there is no dispute or other reason to delay the payment, provided that a list of all such payments shall be submitted to the next appropriate meeting of the council.

Clerk’s monthly salary up to the budgeted annual sum of £2865.00. Overtime and annual leave above and beyond the 8 contracted hours per month must first be approved at the next meeting of the Parish Council. Clerk to receive annually agreed payment of £100.00 for use of own computer, printing equipment and anti-virus software.

Payments to Autela Payroll Services Limited for services rendered not exceeding the budgeted amount of £215.00.

Payments to the Village Hall for hall hire not exceeding the budgeted amount £305.00 for cupboard storage and annual hire for meeting purposes.

Annual subscriptions to LALC and the ICO not exceeding the budgeted amount of £125.00.

Insurance not exceeding the budgeted amount of £251.00.

The internal audit fee not exceeding £88.00.

Payments for gardening services to St. Bartholomew’s churchyard not exceeding the budgeted amount of £500.00. Additional payments above the budgeted amount must be applied for in writing.

Payments to the Community Heartbeat Trust for the defibrillator annual maintenance package and other related annual services not exceeding the budgeted amount of £226.00.

Payments to the PCC for the annual renewal of the garden waste service for an amount not exceeding £60.00 (which is the direct debit amount)

Payments to BT to be paid by direct debit for the amount billed. Budget head is £390.00.

Payments for office equipment, stationery and training not exceeding the budgeted amount of £885.00.

Section 137 expenditure (including £50.00 for the RBL) not exceeding the budgeted amount of £950.00.

Monthly bank fees of £5.00.

b) Members noted the record of reserves as of 13 April 2023. The items for 2023/24 have not yet been added as the precept has not yet been received. Upon receipt of the precept the figures shown in brackets will supersede the first figure. The savings account total is minus £1000.00 which had to be transferred (temporarily) to the current account to cover any payments pending receipt of the precept. Members noted that the precept had been received following publication of the agenda.

Earmarked Reserves
Elections	1774.74 (2074.74)
Defibrillator	1400.00
Laptop	150.00 (300.00)
Community Improvements	3748.31
TOTAL EARMARKED	7073.05 (7523.05)
TOTAL NOT EARMARKED	- (142.74)
SAVINGS ACCOUNT TOTAL, 13 April 2023	6380.31 (7380.31)

c) Members noted the current bank balances as of 13 April 2023.

Current Account	827.81
Savings Account	6380.31
TOTAL	7208.12

d) Members noted the income received between 1 April 2023 and 13 April 2023.

Current Account	827.81
Savings Account	6380.31
TOTAL	7208.12

e) Members noted and approved the expenditure to be paid in line with the approved list of Regular payments between 1 April 2023 and 13 April 2023, or for approval.

Detail	Price	VAT	Total
ICO annual fee	35.00	0.00	35.00
Mugs, DASH UK, (Coronation), Section 137	332.00	66.40	398.40
LALC annual member subscription	87.60	0.00	87.60
LALC annual training subscription	90.00	18.00	108.00
Computer fee (annual)	100.00	0.00	100.00
Ink & Stationery	111.85	0.00	111.85
TOTAL	756.45	84.40	840.85

f) Members agreed to defer approval of the monthly income and expenditure accounts for April 2023.

g) The Clerk informed member that the first quarter risk assessment is due for completion.

Action: Councillor Eldred to complete the risk assessment.

h) The Clerk informed members that the annual policy of insurance is due for renewal on 1 June 2023.

Action: Clerk to obtain three quotes.

i) The Clerk informed the meeting that the new Section 137 amount per elector, for

2023/34 is £9.93.

8) DATE AND TIME OF NEXT MEETING (23/008)

• Annual Parish Council Meeting (must take place within 14 days of new councillors taking office) - 17 May at 8.00pm
• Annual Parish Meeting – 24 May at 8pm

The Chair closed the meeting at 8.50 pm.